Purification of liquids



Oct. 17, 1944. E. M. KELLY ITAL PURIFICATION oF LIQUIDS Filed sept. 1s, l1.941

retenes-oef. 11.1944

UNITI-:D v-sf'rii'r'ss Vlali'rl-:Nifyopriep zsasii rUamchnoN or promos Eau-1 M. xeuy mi Aremu- M. mveln,` Les Angeles, Calif.,A assignors, to The- Dorr Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 'Application September 18,1941, Serial No. 411,268

(cl. 21o-z) d'Claims,

This invention relates to the treatment of liquid suspensions whereinthe suspended matter includes material of organic nature that is septical so that they-are required. to be separated from ytheir carrying liquor and subjected 'at least to biologic digestion treatment. Such suspensions include sewage as well as trade and industrial wastes that are exemplied'by Cannery and dairy wastes.

More particularly the inventioninvolves gen- Still'another object is to improvethe treatability ofthe supernatant discharging from the dlgesr, especially as to the separation therefrom sediment derived from the vacuum flotation aperally theremoval of larger floating solids in the sewage or other waste liquid followed by diusing gas therein, subjecting the gas containing liquid to the effect of vacuum for facilitating the separation from the liquid o'f foul vaporsand o'f suspended solids, subjected the separated solids to biologic digestion',- dewateringdigested sludge resultingtherefrom, burning or drying the dewatered sludge cake in a heat treatment zone that may be fired'at least lpartially by fuel gas that results from biologic action in the digester, -and also possibly burning kfoul vapor separated from the sewage ment.

objects of. 'this invention include the bringing.-

about of the4 separationof suspended material of the sewage or waste liquid in an eilicient manor other waste in this -processing treatof gas, odors and floatable material. 4

And a still further object is to condition the paratus to have greater illterability than sediment from an ordinary clarlfier'oi,` sedimentation apparatus.` f

In order to realize age or other such septical waste liquid to treatment ina liquid holding closed tank characterized feed liquid into the` tank to the liquid level thereof; means for removing floating scum from ner under conditions where the apparatusfor so`- doing occupies a minimum'of ground space; is covered so that the unsightly and odorous material is not open to the atmosphere or to view; discharges an ei'iluentl that is. relatively free of turbidity or suspended particles; that separates i'oul vapors .from the'sewage so they can be rendered innocuous such as by chlorination but more )especially by heat treatment, -fuel for vwhich is derived from. digester gas; and in which thesuspended matter separated therein from their liquid menstruum are rendered particularly susceptible to subsequent treatment'provided for them. Other objects are to improve digestion of sludge from sewage or otherseptical wastes by delivering to a biologic digester a better digesting sludge than heretofore. By the use of a vacuum apparatus of the type 'herein described, the vscum oroat of iioated particles vpassed from the vacuum -apparatus to the digester is thicker or contains a higher percentage of solids 4than the sludge that is usually sent to a digester from or other` sedimentation apparatus.

A further object is to provide adjustment means associated'with the vacuum apparatus by which the dewatering or condensing or thickenlngvof the scum or iloat removed from the vacuumy ap paratus can be controlled and varied.

a clarifier the liquid;A and vmeans 'for discharging treated eluent therefrom. It may also be desirable-to have the tank provided with means for removing therefrom settled solids orf/sediment composed thereof. All liquid outlets from-the tank are proi vided with a barometric leg or its equivalent to prevent air-leakage therethrough that would otherwise affect'the' degree of vacuum maintained on the tank liquid.

The removed scum or oat is subjected to treatment in the digester while digester supernatant is i returnedto a point in the plant aheadof the vacuum apparatus whereby suspended solids and vapors of the supernatant are separated therefrom 4 in the vacuum notation apparatus. Gas

thatis inert. to the biochemical. oxygen demand of the sewagjcan be supplied for gassing the incoming liquid'ahead of thevacuum apparatus by using -stack gases or carbondioxide from the stack of the incinerator or flash dryer wherein digested sludgev is burned due to heat treatment that makes'use of digester gas as fuel.

" I'he liquid passingto the vacuum apparatus .for

separation treatment therein must be gas containing. That is, when under the eect ,of

' vacuum in the apparatus, the lessened pressure and in growing they rise, meanwhile attaching" causes minute bubbles of gas in the liquid to grow themselves toand-thus causing to float'to'the surface of the liquid those solids to which they have attached themselves. If the liquid 'does not normally contain'enough gas-for this purpose, as

it rarely does, gas must be supplied thereto, which it is proposed to do in a gas diffusing station list ahead of the vacuum lflotation apparatus. Gas is.

mostenective for notation purposes when it is present in the liquidinv the formofinnitesimal Aat least-some of these objects it is proposed to subject gas containing sew A U. S. A. patentapplication of Kelly 'in the tank is a gas if not microscopic bubbles. To that end, it is proposed to provide in the lower section of the gas diffusing station porous tiles or plates of granular material capable of diffusing a gas passed therethrough under pressure such as from a source of -compressed gas.

Sewage usually contains grit that readily settles out therefrom. However, it usually is contaminated with septical organic material of the sewage. The grit can be washed substantially free of these contaminating organics by conveying the grit to. emergence whereupon the organics are left in the sewage. If this washing be done ahead of the vacuum apparatus, the organic residue left. in the sewage can well be handled by that apparatvs and therein separated from the sewage liquid in the form of floating scum which can then be passed from the apparatus to digestion and further disposal treatment.

Therefore, it has been found that if a vacuuxriv` iiotation apparatus of the general type described herein be used in the relationships shown with other associated apparatus, cumulative advantages are realized since each succeeding apparatus is enabled to function more efliciently i and dependably.

This invention can modifications of the machines described herein, but therehas been chosen for illustrative purposes the best embodiment of the invention now known so it should be understood that the invention can be'practiced in varying alpparatus so long as that apparatus, or the steps they carry out, fall within the ambit of the appended claims.

The embodiment chosen for example, is illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which the sole gure is a diagrammatic or symbolic showing ofthe stations or of the particular apparatus used, with piping shown merely by single lines and no attempt has beenmade to show valves in the pipe lines for it is believed their use is obvious to oneskilled in the art.

In the `drawing, legends have been applied to possible y, but for more informative description, reference numerals have also been used. Referring to the stations and apparatus as far as be embodied in `many.

otally adjustable preferably about a horizontal axis. The purpose of this is to control the elevation of theliquid level in the compartment 23 and throughit, the liquid level I in the tank. The control of or capability of varying the elevation of the liquid level of the tank is a feature of this arrangement although the essential function is to control or vary the relative height between the liquid level I5 and the effective height of the scum removal means represented by the hopper I6.

Clarified effluent or liquid from which susy A pended solidshave been separated passes from thosenumerals, and referring to the vacuum flotation apparatus rst, II indicates diagrammatically a machine of the type described in et al., Ser.

No. 399,058,1a1ed June 21, 1941, wherein lz indicates a gas-tight tank into which'liquid suspension or a liquid-solids mixture flows through draft-tube I3 from whence it is emitted into a liquid body Il' in the tank I2 in the region of the liquid level I5 thereof. Adjacent the` liquid level is the upper terminal of a scum or moval means that includes a hopper conduit or pipe I1 leading tank.

Also adjacent the liquid level is av scum impelling means Il for sweeping scum into the hopper I6. The means I8 may comprise rotatable I8 and a. to the outside of the float reted into the liquid 45 arms supportedlfrom a shaft I8 rotated by suitably motivated gear 20. Above the liquid level holding space. 2| that communicates with a gas holding space 22 in a chamber or` compartment 23 that holds liquid or an auxiliary body of liquid that is in hydraulic communication at 25 with the liquid body Il in the tank at a level substantially below that of the floating scum in the tank. 26 represents a vacuum orsuctlon pump that sucks air or gas from the auxiliary compartment 23 through an adjustable nozzle or terminal pipe 21 that is pivbaffle means 3| that the tank liquid Il wherein there is substantially sludge pipe' 32.

Ithe draft-tube I3 into `ooming feed liquid the tank through efduent discharge pipe 30,

drawn from the tank in a region associated with terminates in a section of a minimum of suspended solids. Non-floatable solids tend to settle on the tank bottom in the form of sediment or sludge may be impelled to' sludge sump 32 that includes an outlet pipe, by means of sludge impelling arms 33 that can be rotated with the draft tube 63 from the shaft I9. I3 represents a barometric leg or its equivalent associated with each discharge pipe such as scum pipe I1, effluent pipe 30 and The barometrc le'g is for the purpose of discouraging air-leakage through the outlet pipes. In this vacuum apparatus, it is to be noted that the eiliuent is drawn from the tank in a region' that is functionally remote from which the feed liquid isV emitted or releasedfrom the tank liquid. I-I, and is also functionally remote from the scum removal means I6. Y

Liquid suspension in order to be effectively treated in thevacuum flotation apparatus II should contain gas, so in the event that the indoes not contain sumcient gas, or of the ri phase vthe incoming liquid Aprior torea'ching the vacuum flotation apparatus is passed through a' gassing or gas diffusing station comprising a basin or tank 4l provided with a curtain baffle II or other means for preventing short circuiting. The basin i's equipped with some aerating means. The aerating or gassing means may be relatively-gentle-in its effect under. which circumstances there is indicated the use-of means such as porous tiles-or plates 42 of granular material in the bottom section thereof connected by pipes I3 to a gas compressor M. Compressed gast or gas under pressure in passing through the porous tiles or plates 42 is emitthereabove in the form of very small or infinitesimal bubbles which become entrained in the liquid. However, some larger bbbles will form and these should be removed from the liquid as they interfere with the vacuum treatment. They tend to leave the liquid and are 4caught in the gas collecting space 48 especially in the large bubble eliminating secght tion or degassing zone 41 of the gas 'diffusing stathrough dome and pipe ll. For-the gentle aeration of the porous tiles '42, certain-conditions may indicate that there can well be subimpeller or propeller-in which case the comstituted shorter and rapid gassing by an aerating presser 40 could also be eliminated. (An arin said patent application iicient under most conditions, but in sewage from whence they from 'the grit.

voperate sediment or sludge factured by B ird MachineCo., may be substituted for a illter.

l treatment where aeration is commonly done by treatment such as a ash dryer or incineratorv the use of porous tiles, sanitary engineers seem tc prefer the gentler type.

Influent liquid rincoming for treatment may be given pretreatment ahead vof -the'vacuum apparatus Il, or of the gas diiusing lstation in the event one is used. Such pretreatment should be f at least in a screening or disintegrating station wherein the larger solids are comminuted or disintegrated into solids that are small enough to be amenable to the vacuum treatment, or, wherein such large solids .are separated'and removed from the liquids passing to vacuum treatment.

A second station is optional, namely a grit washing station. I

Most waste liquids, and especially sewage, contain readily settleable or relatively heavy sand or grit 'of inorganic nature. This becomes coated terialf If the grit be removed from the. sewage while containing these organics, the latter be-v come septic after a time and make the grit odorous and otherwise objectionable. Thus while the grit is rather easy to remove from the sew' ag, it is not so easy to remove the organics However, the removal of the pr contaminated with lseptical organic m a.

which is preferably heated by the use as fuel of digester gasfrom pipe 86.- Foul vapors from the degassing zone 41 through -pipe49 andsimilar vapors exhausted from vacuum pump 28 through-pipe Il that can join'pipe 49, are de-y odorized or rendered innocuous in the flash dryer or incinerator. A damper or other collecting means 12. can be provided in the stack 13 df the incinerator which permits stackgases and especially carbon dioxide to be conveyedthrough pipe 14 to compressor 44 for useas the compressed gassupplied to the porous tiles 42 for emission therethrough into the liquid 45 in the gas diffusing station. Obviously, air can be supplied to the compressor should it. not be desired to use CO2; a

80 represents a pipe for conveying discharged scum or iloat to the biologic digester, and pipe organics from thel grit can be accomplished satisfactorily and the rejected organics .left in or returned to the owing sewage, for example, by using the process or apparatus. of the patents to Weber N0. 1,933,636 0f Dec. 12, 1933, and No.

1,997,161 of April 9, 1935,' that are characterized by conveying the grit upwardly alonga partially inclined deck from submergence to emergence when it is found'that upon -passing point ah'ead of the gas diiusing station.

the liquid level the organics -are rejected from emergence and the grit emerges in awashed condition.-

Following the vacuum notation apparatus ,Il

there is provided albiologic digester comprising a gas-tight tank 60 in larger sizes of which may impelling arms 6| rotated by some motivated means such as gearing 62 for' impelling digested and .settled sludge to discharge throughpipe 63. `Since the digester functions incident vto biologic activity, the sludge rakes may have.substitutedtherefor other'means for drawing oil sludge from the digester. The digester has a gas collecting space 6 4 from which digester gas (largely methane) evolved incidentj to biologic digestion, can be withdrawn through gas-dome 65 by pipe 66. Digester supernatant .liquor-can be drawn oil -by pipe 61. supernatant liquor is Apreferably conveyed or return to the incoming feed liquid suspension ahead of the gas diusing station where-lt is mixed and mingled -with the inuent or newly`incoming lfeed liquid, although iiit contains inherently enough gas for vacuum notation prposes it canbe bypassed through pipe 91 directly tothe vacuum apparatus Il. Digested sludge is passedv either 8lindicates -a ,pipe vfor conveying sediment or i sludge also to the digester. 82 indicates a ramp l'in-the tank l2 up to the entrance edge of .the hopper I6, up along which the scum sweeping arms I8 push scum from its oating position into thel hopper. V l 83 indicates the optional feeding of chemicals to the sewageV or other liquid to be treated at a If chemicals are use d their purpose is to coagulate or.agglomerate suspended solids and especially -smaller and possibly'colloidal solids into', integrated larger solids so that they may be more amenable to the vacuum otation treatment. Chemicalxmay alsobe added here for another reason, namely, the liquid to be vtreated may contain constituents that should be removed butV which are in liquidphase. A chemical may be used here that causes a chemical reaction with that constituent that results Iin the precipitation of solid phase material that is thenamena- 'I ble to. the vacuum flotation treatment. ASuch chemicals are 'represented by alum and ferric chloride. If chemicals [are not added 'tothe liquid ahead of the gassing station, period can be short and violent. 'I'he time or period of detention of the liquid in the gassing station can 'be as short average owf On the other hand, if chemicals be added ahead of the gassing station, the gasf sing should be-relatively gentle and the detention `period may require as long as from 15 'to `20 y minutes. The volume of gas requiredf by the gallon.

' Where no chemicals are added, and the gassing agitation can be violent, an impeller aerator can continually .orintermittently as kdesired lto a sludge dewatering station.

'I'he dewatering station-.preferably comprises I sludge filtering equipment and vmeans for adding to the sludge prior to filtration coagulating4 chemical or other fuge,' especially of the lsolici bowl type, as manuof Walpole, Mass.,1 Filtrate from this station passes therefrom through pipe lllwhich preferably joins digester supernatant pipe 61 and through it is returned to ahead of the gas diffusing station. Filteredsludge cake is passed from the dewatering station to a place oi' heat illter-aid. Or a centrisurface per twenty-four hours, based upon' aver-v .be used in the gas diiusing station instead of the I tiles shown in the drawing. But'where chenilcals are used, the tile type of gentle gassing is desired so that the. ocs eiected by the coagulatlng properties of, the chemicals are' fragile so it isdesired not to break them upany more than is necessary. The capacity ofthe vacuum notation apparatus l `5,000 to 10,000gallons-per square foot' of liquid age ow. Although in treating some cannery wastes the gallonage may go below 5,000 and in other. application'sthe top ligure may be exceeded. The gureused depends upon the degree of solids removal or clarity of eilluent required. Indeed, very much the tremely high degree of solids removal from the the gassing as 5 minutes based on 0.05 cubic feet.' .per

l ranges normally fromsame criterion applies to i the use or non-use of chemicals.- Where an exllarger solids are either screened out or porousV tiles or plates made removed from the liquid '4.1 of the gas diffusing station. The gas of these or iloatis conducted or Suspended soli asoman if not, then chemicals may be.

size so that they are amenable to vacuum treatment. Thereupon the influent liquid suspensions enters the gas diffusing station where it is gassed. By gassed is meant, that the liquid is provided with or has entrained therein a myriad of gas bubbles that are as small as they can be made, nitestimal or microscopic,I for the smaller the bubble, the more effectivelit is in the'subsequent vacuum flotation treatment. If the liquid does not have'a particularly high oxygen demand, the gas used can be air, but if the liquid does have a high oxygen demand, some gas should be used that is substantially inert tothat demand, and such a gas is carbon dioxide, or nitrogen, or a combination thereof, which possibly may contain some air. the liquid is to pass compressed gas through of a nature that is inert to corrosion by the con-- stituents of the sewage or other lwaste being treated. Such a method of gassing induces the bubbles provided in the -liquidto be efilciently small. During such gassing, however, it is inevitable that some large bubbles form, so they are in the de-gassing zone bubbles plus other gas and especially foul vapors are removed from the gas diffusing station tlrough gas dome-43 and conveyed through pipe 49 to subsequent deodorizing treatment.

The preferred manner of gassingv of 'granular material Y effective level at which scum namely, in-

Gas containing liquid suspensionis passed from Y the gas diffusing station as feed liquid for the vacuum apparatus II and is conveyed' into that station through draft-tube I3, under the action of vacuum, from the 4upper terminal of Lwhich itis emitted or released into the body of liquid I4 maintained in the tank I2, in a region subthe liquid level I5 thereof, the nearer thereto the better, so long as the momentum of the emitted liquid is substantially stilled before reaching the liquid level I5. The liquid level degree of vacuum maintained thereon being equal I5 (and to some slight extent the 'liquid therebelow) is under the effect of vacuum produced by the suction or vacuum pump 26, the' `pushed up the ramp 33 to discharge through connected pipe that also has a barometric leg B. Clarified etlluent, or liquid that has had suspended solids separated therefrom in the vacuum tank I2, is passed from the tank through eiiluet discharge pipe 30 that is also provided with a barometric leg B. Pipe 30 draws eiliuent from the tank from a region wherein the liquid has a minimum of suspended solids, and the level from which the effluent is drawn is controlled by the baille means 3|, this region being 'functionally remote from that in` which incoming feed is released into the tank and in which scum is removed.

`It is ,desirable to be able to vgrly the liquid level Ilof the tank liquid I4 with r ation to the sludge sump 32 and its hopper I3. The reason is that the higher the entrance level of ,the hopper level, the greater the distance scum has to be leading tothe hopper entrance by the sweeping arms I3, with Ya consequent increasing ydewatering of the scum. That is, in pushingV scum from its floating position up the ramp into the hopper, water is squeezed therefrom, so the longer the period of pushing, the more water is squeezed therefrom. This is important, because the scum removed from the vacuum tank that is passed to the biologic digester should be concentrated as economically as shon, the liquid level I5 -is variable and. controllable as to its height, while the ramp and hopper are fixed, although this relationship may be reversed. The control of the liquid level I5 is accomplished as follows: The tank I2 as provided is an auxiliary chamber or'compartment 23 that has a gas holding space 22 that is in gas communication with the tank I2, while the liquid containing portion 24 of the chamber 23 is inhydraulic communication with the` liquid body 4 in tank I2 by means of passageway 25. Thus the liquid level in the auxiliary chamber 23 and in the tank I2 are always substantially the same.

The vacum pump 26 can suck gas or liquid, or

both, fromvthe chamber 23 through the pipe ,that

to the order oi" from seven to nine inches of v mercury. The effect of this vacuum is to cause to oat and form into floating scum or jiloa't not only normally oatableisuspended particles but certain normally non-fioatable particles.

' It is desired to remove cumulation thereof, to which end scum removing' means are provided that are embodied in rotating scum sweeping arms I8 that convey IB from whence the scum discharged from the tank I1 and its barometric leg .B.

to 'and into a hopper I2 through pipev the scum or float about, as fast asformed so that there is no undue acterminates in the pivoted nozzle 21, depending upon the extent of submergence of-fthe entrance of the nozzle in the liquid in the chamber 23. Assuming that the entrance to the nozzle 21 is xed, if the liquid'level in the chamber 23 rises above that point, the pump through the nozzle will suck liquid until the liquid.level falls below the entranceto the nozzle and thus the liquid level in the chamber will be maintained at the level of. the entrance to the nozzle. And, of course, so will the liquid level I5- of the tank I2 because the chamber 23 is in both gas and liquid communication with the tank. If, now, the entrance to the nozzle is either elevated or lowered,

floating scum '-the gas holding spaces 2i of of the 4chamber a new. liquid level will be realized. Thus the elevationI of the liquid level 'in the tank can be controlled or varied at will. The pump 26 in this embodiment is ofthe wet vacuum variety so thatd it will pump water when its nozzle 21 is submerged. or only gas when .its nozzle is not submerged. Gas or foul/vapors withdrawn from 23 are exhausted into pipe 1I that can Join pipe, (from the gas diffusing Vstation) for conducting such vapors to chlorina-` tion or to deordorizing heat treatment, as for instance in the incinerator.

y In this type ofI vacuum apparatus II, about is passed into the is'from the liquid possible. In the embodiment.

the gas holding space 2I of the tank I2 and 22 beenremoved. These solids aredischarged from the apparatus as scum or iloat. This scum plus sediment can be conducted from thetank I 2 to a biologic digester by pipes 80- and 8| respectively. In the digester, the solids are subjected l to biologic and bacterial-action ycalled in the art digestion, wherein the septical solids are largely converted by this action into a burnable gas,

' supernatant foul liquor and settleable digested solids. 'I'he burnable gas is collected in the gas holding space 64 of .the digester and conducted therefrom through gas dome 65 and pipe 66 to the heat treatment station indicated bythe inltinerator, where the digester gas` can be used incineratoror flash dryer Where it is subjected to heat' .treatment vfor renderingit innocuous,

while filtratev'from the dewatering station is conducted back to ahead of the gas diffusing station through pipe 10,1which may join-pipe 61 that is provided for taking the foul digester supernatant liquid or liquor back to'ahead of the gas diffusing station. This liquor has a content vof foul gas and floatable suspended solids, so

by `returning it for furthertreatment in the vacuum apparatus il, 'theseundesirable constituents have their characteristics modified and changed.

sometimes this supernatant liquid is so full of gas that it can be passed directly to the vacuum apparatus il, by-passing the gas diffusing station, as indicated by d otted line 6l'. The van rs and gas from the gas diffusing stationyand from the vacuum :pump 26 can be conducted by pipes 1l and 49 to the heat treatment station or incineratorwhere the heat of .that station can .be used to deodorize them. The carbon dioxideor other inert gases of the stack 13 of the incinerator can be conducted by pipe 'l2 to the compressor and'this used as the inert g'as to 'be' supplied to the gas diffusing station.

In most flotation processes the liquid suspension has to be dosed with a frothing agent and in some casesalso with a depressant, but in the vacuum notation of sewage and the like wastes, ithas been found that neitherof these are nec- We claim: l. The process lof treating waste liquidshaving septical suspended particles which comprises maintaining under `pressure less than atmospheric an encased body Aoi' liquid suspension by applying vacuum-effecting suction tothe atmosphere encased with and overlying the liquid to produce a sub-atmospheric pressure at the surfaceof the liquid equal to more than six inches the body,v

of mercury to reduce the 'gas contentof continually conveying and releasing into the liquid body gas-bearing feed liquid in a region and at a velocity 'so that -suspended particles thereof are caught by the suction which is suillcient to carry them to;the surface of the liquid and retainthem thereat as scum, continually removingfro'm t e surface of the body .scum 'of lparticles floating thereat conditioned to be' comfpatible with anaerobic bacterialdigestion, convHiott 'ef the suspended particles in liquid suspension are separated therefrom.l Indeed, in i treating cannery wastes as much as 80% has trelllngtlie liquid level of the body, dischargin clarified eilluent drawnfrom a lower section of the body whereat there is a minimum rof suspended solids and a substantially lessenedl de Vl gree of suction as compared withthat at the liquid surface, which section is also functionally remote from the scum and from the region at l0 each through a closed pathway including a liquid-sealed leg for minimizing airs-leakage therethrough tothe liquid body, subjecting removed and conditioned scum to anaerobic biologic digestion,l returning digester superna nt liquor for 15 .re-treatment in the encased body liquid whereby t'o separate gas and suspended particles from the liquor, and discharging digested sludge-from 1 the place of its-digestion.

v2. Apparatus for the treatment of liquid having septical organic matter suspended therein which comprises abiolgicdigester providing a vliquid holding section', means for discharging supernatant liquor vtherefrom that contains products of biologic digestion including iloatabl'e particles and foul vapors, means for discharging digested sludge from the digester, and in cornbination with the foregoing a vacuum flotation apparatus comprising a closed tank adapted to hold liquid being treated, means for controlling .30 the liquid level in the tank, suction'means for applying vacuum-effecting suction equal to more than' inches of mercury .to the atmosphere en-v cased with and overlying the liquid to produce a sub-atmospheric pressure at the liquid level to reduce the gas conte'nt -of the bodv,.means for continually conducting gas-be feed liquid to the body and releasing such feed adjacent the liquid level whereby gas-buoyed' suspended mat?. ter is impelled into the 40 suction used, the gas the .degree of suction us ontent o'f the feed and being suillcient so vthat at the liquid level as floating scum, scum receiving and discharging means .extending into 'the tank liquid adjacent the liquid level thereof for discharging scum whose air content has been l means for conducting such scum in a closed pathway to said digesters,` and means for conducting supernatant and for releasing such liquor into the tank liquid adjacent the liquid level thereof but in a region that is functionallyremotefrom the clarified eiliuent discharge including a tube extending intp the tank and terminating therein adjacent the liquid level of the tank. 1 i

. 3. Apparatus for the treatment of liquid suspensions which comprises a closed tank'adapte'd to hold an ever-changing body of such liquid, feed means for submergedly releasing gas-bearing liquid into the bodyfadjacent the liquid level, suction means for effecting on .the liquid level of the body sub-atmospheric pressure equal to more .than 6 inches ofmercury the gas content of the feed and the degree of suction used, being slillcient to impel'feed liquid in'to reach of the suction and to collect suspended particles there-l of at the liquid Ylevel as floating'scum, scumv which feed is released into the bod'y, meanwhile passing removed seu-m and discharge eilluentI reach oi the pull of the i such released feed matter reaches and collects minimized, scum impelling means associated with ed eilluent disliquor from the digesterl adapted to hold a body a gas-holding s'pace overlying the body, means 4passing discharged de-aerated scum from the tank to the digester; said apparatus also having means for varying the liquid level in the tank with respect to the scum receiving and discharging means therein whereby there can be thus -controlled the water content of the scum passing :from the tank to the digester.

4. Apparatus for the treatment of liquid having septical organic matter suspended therein which comprises an anaerobic biologic digester of digestible sludge with for removing digested sludge from the digester, and means for removing from the digester supernatant liquor having therein products of anaerobic digestion including oatable particles and gas, and in combination with the foregoing a vacuum notation apparatus comprising a closed tank adapted to hold a liquid suspension to be treated and to provide a gas-holding space overlying the liquid. means for controlling the liquid level therein, suction means for applying vacnum-effecting pheric .pressure equal to mercury at the liquid .levelin the tank and for supernatant liquor reducing the gas content of such suspension. meansi'or continually conducting gas-bearing feed` liquid to the body and releasing such feed adjacent-the liquid level whereby gas-buoyed suspended matter is impelled into the reach of the pull of the suction used, the gascontent of the feed and the degree of suction used being suiicient so that such released feed matter reaches and collects at the liquid level as floating scum, scum receiving and discharging means extending into the tank liquid adjacent the liquid level` thereof for discharging scum whose air content has been minimized, means for sweeping 'scum into said. scum receiving means, clarified emuent vdischarge means leading from the tank, means for minimizing substantial air-leakage into the tankthrough said discharges, conduit means for conducting such discharged scum to said digester, gas-diiusing means for feed liquid going to the vacuum tank, means for conducting from the digester to the gasdiffusing means, and means for conducting feed liquid after it has passed the gas-diffusing means to and for Arelease into the vacuum tank adiacent the liquid level therein. s EARL'M. KELLY.

ARTHUR M. KIVAR-I. 

